Kantor Dental Group & Implants

Hello. I’m Dr. Grey Kantor here with Kantor Dental Group in San Rafael, California. Do you suspect that you have oral cancer? I know it can be scary. However, usually what it is is just some sort of trauma to your mouth. The way you can tell is if you have… If it goes away in two weeks. Two weeks is kind of a magic number. Keep an eye on it. If you see something in your mouth, keep an eye on it. If it’s gone in two weeks, then you’re fine.

A good way to prevent oral cancer is coming to the dentist. We, at Kantor Dental Group, we do oral cancer screenings every single time you get a cleaning. We look around, we check all the surfaces of your mouth. One of the most common areas to get cancer is in your mouth, so we make sure all our patients are very safe from oral cancer.

If you suspect it or if you just would like to get a check up, definitely come see us at Kantor Dental Group here in San Rafael, California. Please subscribe.

When you first meet someone new, one of the first things you notice about them is their smile. You look at a bright smile and feel like you can trust the person behind that grin. A big, white, dazzling smile makes all the difference in the way we feel about others. We trust a person with a confident smile, while a reserved smile makes people cautious and unsure of the relationship.

That’s why you deserve to smile confidently. Everyone deserves to put their best foot forward with a smile that dazzles. When you feel good about your smile, you make an exponentially better impression. People look at you and feel comfortable in your presence. If you aren’t confident about your smile, you may feel pressure to hide it, which can hurt the way other people look at you. People may sense that you have something to hide. When you hide your smile, you hide an important side of yourself. No one can ever feel as confident and in control as they might otherwise without a smile that makes them feel good.

How to Achieve the Perfect Smile You’ve Always Dreamed of Having

So how can you make sure you are smiling confidently every day? You need to achieve that perfect smile. Of course, few people have the perfect smile of their dreams naturally. Some people are embarrassed by stains on their teeth. Other people feel uncomfortable smiling in public due to crooked teeth. Even more people suffer from some other problem that detracts from their shining, confident grin. Luckily, you can fix these problems with the help of a qualified dentist.

You can get the perfect smile of your dreams as soon as possible when you dedicate yourself to improving your smile. With braces or Invisalign, you can fix a gap and straighten your teeth. Whitening can make your teeth sparkle. Veneers can fix multiple issues at once, and even give you the movie star smile you never thought possible with your teeth. You can even change your whole look with natural-looking porcelain veneers for a transformation that will last for many years. In fact, just about any dental problem can be resolved, allowing you to smile more confidently.

You deserve the perfect smile. When you feel good about the way your smile looks, you are more likely to smile big and enjoy your life. You will be able to feel more confident about other parts of your life too. A smile can make the difference in almost any situation. Let your smile communicate how you feel about others–and about yourself. A confident smile can change your life for the better if you just let it.

Teeth cleanings are vital for our oral health. A tooth cleaning can remove plaque, prevent cavities, and even make our teeth look better. In fact, keeping your teeth healthy can improve your overall health. It’s clear that you should attend regular cleanings. Still, how often is “regular?” People ask me all the time, “How often should I get my teeth cleaned by a dentist?”

The simple answer is twice a year, but a more realistic answer would be “it depends.” You see, the standard insurance recommendation is to visit the dentist for a cleaning every six months, but how often you really need to get your teeth cleaned by a dentist will depend on your unique oral health. While some healthy patients only need to see the dentist for a cleaning once a year, patients with gum disease may need to come once every three months (or every other month in particularly acute cases).

What Factors Affect How Often You Need to See the Dentist?

So how can you know how often you will need to go to the dentist for a cleaning? There are some risk factors that will mean you need to get your teeth cleaned more often. If you smoke, are pregnant, have a weak immune system or immune system response to bacterial infections, tend to develop plaque more quickly, or have a family history of gum disease, you are at greater risk for gum disease and may need more cleanings. In addition, you may need to get tooth cleanings more often if you have previously been diagnosed with gum disease or if you are currently suffering from large amounts of stress or another illness.

If you think that list sounds complicated, don’t worry. The best way to find out how often you need to see your dentist for a cleaning is simple: ask. Your dentist will be able to evaluate your current oral health, history of tooth cleaning habits, and risk factors to suggest the regimen best for your unique needs. Your dental history will also factor into this recommendation. When you trust your dentist’s advice, you are best able to take care of your oral health and unique needs.

If you haven’t been to get your teeth cleaned in a while, now may be the time. The twice a year recommendation acts as a good reference for the average patient, but you may be different. Talk to your dentist about your cleaning needs to find out what’s right for you.

Hello, I’m Dr. Grey Kantor with Kantor Dental Group in San Rafael, California. Today, I want to talk about dry mouth. Dry mouth can be very serious for your teeth, in that your saliva protects your teeth from cavities. What causes dry mouth? Well, there’s many things. There’s some conditions that cause dry mouth, but there’s also most drugs actually cause dry mouth. About three-quarters of the drugs out there that you may be taking can cause dry mouth, or at least have a risk of dry mouth. Some of those drugs include antidepressants, anticoagulants, high blood pressure medication, heart medication. The list goes on. There are many, many drugs that cause dry mouth.

How do you protect your teeth when you have dry mouth? Well, the most important thing, which you probably already know, is keep your mouth wet. The way you can keep your mouth wet is have a glass of water by the bed. Another way is to use Biotene. Biotene is a company that makes dental products specifically for dry mouth. Some other ways are to just keep drinking water. Always carry a water bottle with you, that way you’re just able to rinse out those sugars or whatever it is you’re eating out of your mouth and not just leaving it in a dry environment where the bacteria can flourish.

If you are taking any of these medications or notice that you have dry mouth, definitely come and see us so we can talk more about it. Again, I’m Dr. Grey Kantor here at Kantor Dental Group in San Rafael, California. Please subscribe.

December 6, 2016
Continuing Education Course: AIC Implant Training on Bone Grafts

I honestly can’t get enough of these courses. Every course I take, I learn new gems about how to make treatment more efficient. There are many types of bone grafts that can apply to a variety of situations. No bone grafting situation is the same which is why a surgical dentist should have a variety of tools to complete a successful bone graft. One of the most important things to ensure a successful graft is stability. The bone graft and covering membrane should not be moved around during healing. In this lecture we learned different ways to stabilize a graft in multiple situations.

What does this mean to the patient? Be very gentle with your graft after the procedure. Don’t let your tongue play with the sutures or pull your cheek back to show your friends. Make sure not to chew on the area and, if possible, chew on the opposite side. These things can disturb the graft causing slower healing, less bone recovery, or in the worst case, a recurrent infection. The best ways to avoid bumping the graft is to eat soft foods, see the list below of the 50 Foods to Eat After Surgery. Also don’t brush the gums on the tooth/teeth adjacent to the bone graft. A tooth brush is too uncontrolled to be used near a surgical area. Try using dental floss and tooth picks instead.

The grafting can be the hardest part of the implant procedure but once it is done, you are over the hump and on your way to replacing your tooth / teeth!

Download our list of the Top 50 Foods to Eat After Dental Surgery.

Hello, I’m Dr. Grey Kantor here at Kantor Dental Group in San Rafael, California.

Today I want to talk to you about how to clean dentures. Dentures need to be cleaned a little differently than your teeth. You can brush them; however, you don’t want to use toothpaste, because using toothpaste will actually… Has an abrasive in it and that’ll slowly make the dentures get smaller and smaller. It’s not a good idea to use toothpaste with your denture. However, you can clean it with basically anything else, any non-abrasive cleaner. Soap works, Listerine’s really nice, hydrogen peroxide, all these work really well with it and can clean up the teeth and even get off some of those surface stains.

Polident is a great product. It’ll definitely take off a lot of the stains overnight, just the extrinsic stains on the dentures themselves, and will kill the bacteria as well, as it says right here on the box. Those are the best ways to clean it, but the most important thing is to try not to use toothpaste so you can make that denture last as long as possible. Also, when you come in to the dentist, which you should come to the dentist once a year for a checkup, even if you have full dentures, we’ll clean it here and we can offer you some advice on other ways that may be able to help you clean it. Again, my name’s Dr. Grey Kantor with Kantor Dental Group, Aesthetic Dentistry and Implantology. Please subscribe.

Hi, I’m Dr. Ezra Kantor and this is Dr. Grey Kantor of Kantor Dental Group. And tonight we want to talk to you about the loss of a permanent tooth by a child in an accident and what to do.

Essentially, time is of the essence. The tooth must be returned to the mouth within a half an hour. What do you do as a parent? Well, you can return the tooth to the child’s mouth, having the tooth kept there until you get to the dentist or you can put it in some milk. But even doing so, time must be saved, and you must get to the dentist within preferably less than a half hour.

Fast as you can. Yeah, fast as you can. So we can reposition that tooth in the socket, either bond it into place or wire it into place, fix it in some way. Even an insufficiently formed tooth can continue to grow properly if we get it replaced within a timely fashion.

Another important thing to note is you might think, “Well, I’ll just put it back in myself.” The reason not to do that, ’cause if it’s a baby tooth and you try and push it back in yourself and push it maybe too hard, you can damage the tooth underneath, the adult tooth underneath, making them having a deformed tooth as it comes out, mostly likely a front tooth if this is a traumatic sports accident or something of that nature. Time is the biggest thing in this case, so I agree with my father, Dr. Kantor, is just get here. We’ll assess whether it’s an adult tooth, a child’s tooth, and we’ll decide how to put it in and what to do from there. But just get to the nearest dentist. You can even… If there’s a dental office across the street from a school or your dentist is close enough, get there as fast as possible.

Despite the fact that Dr. Grey has no choice but to agree with me, you really should get the child to us as soon as possible so we can replace the tooth.

And if you have any questions about that or would like to become a patient here, we’re Kantor Dental Group, located in San Rafael, California. Thanks for watching and please subscribe (on YouTube).

Permanent teeth are meant to last a lifetime, but sometimes the gums or teeth are damaged or decayed so severely that they need to be removed. In other cases, teeth become too crowded or impacted to remain comfortably in the mouth. In these cases, teeth extractions (or pulling teeth) may be necessary.

How Is a Tooth Extracted?

There are two ways that dentists can extract teeth. Most commonly, removing a tooth is a simple procedure. After administering a local anesthetic, a dentist will loosen the tooth and then pull it out using special tools. Patients may feel pressure, but they should feel no pain.

If a tooth is broken off at the gumline or never grew out of the gums in the first place, the dentist will use a surgical procedure. Patients receive a stronger anesthetic or may even be put to sleep. The dentist will then make a small incision and remove the tooth from the gums. While a slightly more complex procedure, surgical tooth extraction should still not be painful during the procedure.

What Can I Expect During and After the Tooth Extraction Procedure?

If you are like many patients, you probably feel nervous about getting a tooth pulled. This is a normal feeling, but you don’t need to worry. Before the procedure, your dentist will take a full medical history and x-rays of the area, so there should be no surprises or serious complications. Your mouth will be numbed, so although you will feel something, you should feel no pain.

After a tooth extraction, you will need to take some time to rest and recover. Most dentists suggest taking at least a day off to relax and heal. This often includes icing your jaw to reduce swelling and pain. Most swelling will occur the morning after due to fluids moving toward your head while laying down overnight. Many patients take painkillers to reduce discomfort during recovery, and you may also be given antibiotics to reduce the chance of infection. You can also rinse your mouth with saltwater after the first 24 hours to help prevent the growth of unhealthy bacteria. But you must rinse very gently so you don’t disturb the delicate blood clot. Instead of moving the salt water with your cheeks, try moving your head.

Depending on what kind of procedure you experience, your doctor may give you other specific care instructions. The basic idea is to protect the blood clot and to keep the socket clear. Use gauze as directed by the dentist to help control bleeding. For the first 48 hours: stay away from small particle foods including rice and popcorn, don’t put any suction in your mouth including straws and cigarettes, don’t swish water as this could dislodge the clot.

Still feeling a bit anxious about having a tooth removed? That’s totally normal. Sometimes more information can help. At Kantor Dental, we are always happy to answer any questions you may have about any procedure. Feel free to call our offices or come in to see us to ensure you are as comfortable as possible.

A brilliant, healthy smile can make you feel better about yourself. It increases your confidence and makes you look like the best you possible. Unfortunately, getting the ideal smile you want can be a bit of a challenge. Traditional braces can be painful, unwieldy, and even embarrassing. Luckily, that’s all changed. Removable invisalign trays now offer an easier, more attractive alternative.

There are six huge benefits of Invisalign that may convince you to finally get the smile you’ve always wanted.

1. Invisalign straighteners are virtually undetectable, which means they look better than other braces options. Many people choose not to get braces because they don’t like the way they look. Invisalign removes this problem. The clear trays fit your teeth perfectly, which means you practically won’t notice them. You’ll avoid the stigma and embarrassment that hold some people (especially adults) back from getting their teeth corrected.

2. It’s easy to clean your teeth and maintain your oral health. Braces make it more difficult to brush and floss properly, which means that many people experience tooth decay and periodontal disease during and after braces use. Invisalign can be taken out whenever you need–including to clean your teeth well.

3. Invisalign is more comfortable and less painful than braces. Braces have wires and metal brackets with sharp edges that poke the gums and cut your mouth. Invisalign is smooth and virtually pain-free, especially since it moves your teeth more carefully towards the ideal.

4. You can eat anything you want. Since you remove Invisalign to eat, there are no dietary restrictions with Invisalign. Eat the foods you love without any problems.

5. Go to the dentist less often. Traditional braces require regular visits to adjust and maintain your brackets. Invisalign usually only requires a visit every four to six weeks, which most people can easily fit in their schedules. Plus, your oral health is likely to be better, which lowers the risk for cavity-related visits as well.

6. You know exactly what to expect with Invisalign. Once your dentist inputs all the data about you into an algorithm, Invisalign treatments are generated automatically. You’ll see your entire treatment plan mapped out from start to finish with no expensive or painful surprises. Traditional braces tend to have more trial and error, which means you may be in for a longer commitment than you originally had prepared for.

Invisalign may be the option you have always been waiting for. You can get a perfect smile more conveniently– and without the embarrassment that many people feel when wearing traditional braces. Come to Kantor Dental today to find out if Invisalign may be the right option for you. Contact us today to learn how we can help!

December 6, 2016
Continuing Education Course at the Marin County Dental Society Meeting on Maxillofacial Prosthetics.

This was a very interesting course going over cases (or should I say stories) about people with facial deformities or injuries. The lecturer went over options for treatment as well as things to consider for people dealing with these facial deformities. We went over facial aesthetics as well, which is always helpful to consider features and ratios of the face that humans consider aesthetic.

We also reviewed some local anatomy as we do in most lectures. Anatomical structures are very important to consider in any surgical setting. This is why we review anatomy at every meeting in order to maintain our knowledge of the human body.